Something Went Wrong
by L'Archel-Hotishi
Summary: Siblings Kana and Dwyer go missing after a mysterious attack at the astral castle. Distraught but hopeful, Jakob and Corrin must work together to find their missing children before time runs out. Will Corrin become part of another broken family? Spoilers for mid-game and of FE Fates: Conquest AND neutral/Nohrian child units. Corrin/Jakob. Hurt/Family/Comfort/Fluff.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Something Went Wrong

Pairing: Corrin/Jakob

Rating: T (mild violence)

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership to anything in the Fire Emblem franchise, including the characters or plot. This story is merely written for fun out of love for the characters and games.

Author's Note: I'll be updating "Your Hands Brought the Morrow" very soon! I've just had this specific idea bouncing around in my head for a while and thought it might be fun to upload it.

I thought it might be interesting for Corrin and Jakob to be in a situation like this and see them work as a team under very dire circumstances. I love writing fluff, but I thought trying something different would be fun. **Minor spoilers for mid-game of Conquest and Nohrian/Neutral child units are present.**

Enjoy!

 **-START-**

The attack on the castle came so swiftly that nobody had predicted it.

Even Nyx, with her expansive magical knowledge and keen soothsaying abilities, hadn't foreseen the future ambush on the astral plane. Lilith had also been caught off guard and had only awakened from her slumber upon hearing the cries from the units on nightly patrol. The anguished yells she heard were that of Niles and Odin, who had been assigned to the night watch hours before. By the time Lilith joined the fray, the two retainers were already seriously injured to the point of near unconsciousness.

It didn't take long for everyone in the castle to be jarred awake by the chaos and leap into action.

Just as Niles and Odin were about to fall, Ophelia and Nina rushed in to take their places. Their quick thinking bought everyone else a little bit of time.

The battle-hardened Nohrian siblings were some of the first fighters to respond. Their respective retainers followed suit with nothing short of total devotion.

While Xander and Siegbert handled archers and ninjas, Camilla and Elise made easy work of any mounted units that dared to approach the two sisters. Leo and Forrest guarded the center of the castle and attacked any and all sneaky troops that tried to make a beeline for the throne. Forrest also tended to the wounded with various staves and tomes, only attacking when absolutely necessary or to protect his father.

Everyone else came running with great intensity. Even Keaton and his apathetic daughter Velouria, who were usually the last to show passion towards anything that wasn't garbage or dust bunnies, charged into battle with gusto that would have made even the deadliest hitmen pale in comparison. Benny and Ignatius teamed up, as did Arthur and Effie with Percy soaring at their side.

Azura stood close to Kaze, who was doing his best with alongside Midori to protect the songstress from any and all attacks. The blue-haired woman's beautiful voice was a saving grace could be heard across the entire battlefield, even of the cries of agony and pain. The soothing sounds unfortunately mingled with Peri's insane laughter. She was having quite the field day slicing and dicing enemies. Laslow used his dancing whenever possible to motivate the team and rally everyone's dying spirits. Soleil wasn't a great dancer and decided ultimately to stick with her sword when it came to combat.

"Soleil, are you feeling okay?" Laslow asked his daughter was in as calm of a voice he could muster. It didn't help that he was somewhat breathless form dancing. He took a moment to ask his usually collected daughter about her wellness since he couldn't help but notice that the wave of enemies before them seemed endless.

"Better than ever," Soleil lied seamlessly. Although she still didn't fool her father. "Keep 'em coming! I'll take them on all at once!"

After they had enough time to suit up and ready their horses, the castle's knights also joined the battle. Silas was the first to rush the semi-visible enemies and Sophie was responsible for a series of sneak attacks that ended enemies and made whatever clothes they wore evaporate to shreds. Gunter wasn't far away, working solo at first to guard some of the castle's monuments and shops. Resources were already tight enough without their stores being destroyed. Shura, Izana and Mozu were eventually able to join Gunter in his effort to preserve the camp's structures with a combination of up-close and long range attacks.

Even as everyone and their children took on waves of enemies, the attacks didn't lessen and enemies kept respawning.

"Ugh, there's too many!" Selena cried, standing by her liege Camilla loyally and slicing another mercenary that stood in her way. Beruka wasn't far off and could be seen sinking the blade of her axe into a large Faceless.

Even the usually stoic assassin spoke with a degree of urgency nobody else had ever heard before. "Lady Camilla, what is happening?"

"I'm not sure, darling," Camilla told her retainers in dismay. Her beautiful lilac curls were starting to droop and her usually lovely face was marred with lines of worry. "This is quite a hassle, isn't it? We've never faced such a ruthless attack before."

A few meters away, another woman's frustrated scream pierced the night sky. The sound of a blade slicing the air interrupted her and a warm spray of blood covered the dirt. Charlotte stood above the body of a fallen enemy with a wearing a look of pure disgust. A manicured nail flew to her cheek to smear away a drop of blood that had spattered just beneath her eye. " _Gods_ , this is a pain in the butt! Where the hell are they coming from?"

A certain prince was merely a few feet away from her and took a moment to answer the very relevant question.

"I don't know," Xander muttered in exasperation as another enemy was impaled by his mighty Siegfied. Even he was growing impatient from the relentless waves of enemies. Siegbert was gasping for breath at his side, and both of their horses looked equally exhausted. Xander retrieved his blade from the chest of an enemy and snapped the blade briskly in the air to whisk away whatever blood and debris was left clinging to the cool metal. His royal voice blared like a trumpet as he announced loudly, "Everyone, keep fighting! Fall back if you need to heal, but do not let them reach the throne! That's an _order!_ "

The command was easier heard than followed.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Felicia warbled, spinning around in dizzying circles as she deflected attacks from swords and lances alike. Flora was mere feet away, slashing enemies as fast as she could with her frosty daggers and attempting to heal anyone she could from a distance. The two sisters were outnumbered just like everyone else.

"We're completely surrounded…" Flora muttered mournfully. "This might be…"

"No, sister!" Felicia replied as she tossed a dagger into the chest of a nearby mage before they could strike. The enemy let out a guttural cry and crumbled to the ground. "Don't say that! We can't fail Lady Corrin like this!"

"But, sister…"

All of a sudden, a distinct cry of pain rang out through the castle. Everyone that wasn't preoccupied with an enemy looked in the direction of the noise and saw one of their own units splayed on the battlefield.

Shigure groaned with pain and attempted to push himself up from the frozen earth and cobblestone. The young man had been thrown from his Pegasus after a nearly lethal hit from a Silver Bow. Although he was still alive, stains of bright red could be seen on his white and blue armor.

"Shigure!" Azura screamed, having been one of the first people to recognize the cry of her son. When she tried to run to his side, Kaze pulled her back upon seeing a hoard of Faceless approach his body. The large group of monsters looked ready to ambush the weakened man. Even if Azura went in with an ally, rushing in would be akin to suicide.

"Milady, you can't," the ninja barked. His wrist held her arm firmly, although his heart almost shattered when he saw the tortured expressions on her face.

"But…my son…" the woman quivered, desperately trying to escape Kaze's grip so she could run to her precious child and protect him. "Let go! _Shigure! Run!_ "

Although she saw her son's mouth move, his last words were inaudible. The young woman didn't dare to look away as a Faceless raised its gruesome hand to deliver a final blow. Azura screamed her son's name again out of mad desperation.

Seconds later, a shadow soared overhead and cast a dark shape over the battlefield. Another voice, even younger than Shigure's, penetrated the cacophony of terrible sounds on the frontline and attracted the attention of every single Nohrian unit. They all recognized the voice instantly.

The voice was youthful but commanding. Although the syllables were slightly distorted, the bravery they carried was obvious.

" _Watch out!"_

A large shape deflected the monster's attack and, after a mighty roar and the swing of a steel-like tail, the beast was severed in two at the abdomen. The dismembered creature was thrown away from Shigure's body like a ragdoll.

A large dragon glimmered silver and sapphire under the moonlight. After letting out a triumphant roar, the beast returned to its original form of a young boy with steely hair and dark eyes. The child reached behind them and grasped a Nohrian Blade from its holster attached to their black and gold armor. The weapon was already bloodied from fighting previous enemies and shone brightly under the moonlight. Apparently the Faceless wasn't the first beast to experience the young warrior's wrath.

"Kana…" Shigure gasped, eyes glassy as he looked up at the young boy.

All of a sudden, he felt a warm sensation spread across his back. It wasn't the sticky, metallic heat of blood that he'd felt before when he'd been pierced with the silver arrow. This time, he felt his wounds being mended and the shards of weaponry fade from his body. The man looked over his shoulder and saw a slightly slumped form lingering over him. His gloved hand brandished a polished staff that glowed with healing energy.

The young man lifted his head and gave Shigure a heavily hooded stare. His strawberry blonde locks were almost as wild as Kana's and almost eclipsed the troubadour's distinct face from Shigure's view.

"That could have been bad," his voice drawled lazily. "Are you okay?"

The young Pegasus rider was elated to see one of his closest comrades leaning over him. He cried out his companion's name with unbridled exuberance. "Dwyer!"

Traces of a small smile appeared on Dwyer's face as he offered Shigure a hand to help him up off the cold ground. "I'll take that enthusiasm as a 'yes.'"

Kana swiveled around and scanned the battlefield. More Faceless were rushing toward them from only a few spears away. "Brother! We have company!"

"Damn," Dwyer cursed as he saw the massive hoard rushing towards them. What Faceless lacked in intelligence they made up for in brute strength. Dwyer knew he could take one out his bare hands and martial arts techniques. Fighting a whole army of them was another story. "This isn't good. Shigure, can you stand?"

"I think so," the young man replied, pushing his exhausted body off the ground and reaching for his lance. It had flown a few feet away from him after the last attack. Although he could still wield a weapon, he was far from steady on his feet. The young troubadour had enough magic left to heal Shigure's steed as well, but knew that they might need the magic to heal their own grievous wounds or the injuries of their teammates later in the battle.

"Send your steed back to the stables," Dwyer commanded Shigure. "Can you fight on horseback?"

"I can try," Shigure said with a nod. Although his Pegasus hadn't been fatally wounded, it would be unethical to force the creature to fight any longer. The young man whispered some kind words to the delicate creature and watched it clumsily soar from the battlefield and back to the stables. Hopefully it would be safe there for at least a while longer. Hell, hopefully the stables were still standing.

"Get on," Dwyer said as he dismounted rapidly. Before Shigure could object, Dwyer placed his hands on either side of Shigure's narrow waist and hoisted him atop the creature. "It can't carry us both."

"Wait, what about you?" Shigure inquired with wide eyes from atop the chestnut-colored mount.

"I'll go to the front lines with Kana," Dwyer said as he brandished a dagger from his coat. Shigure's eyes widened as he realized that Dwyer, in addition to being a troubadour, seemed to also know how to wield knives like a butler. Had he really taken time to master both classes? He supposed that wasn't too outlandish when he considered the young man's strict and focused upbringing. Dwyer elaborated plainly, "I can fight without a steed. My father taught me. I'll be fine."

Shigure wore an expression of intense worry. It took Kana less than a second to spy it and flash him a bright grin.

"Don't worry about us!" the young boy insisted. "I've got my Dragonstone and sword like Mama. Dwyer can heal and can use daggers like Papa! We'll be fine!"

"But…if you guys need to escape, without a horse…"

"Go on," Dwyer teased, giving Shigure a lopsided grin before readying another knife in his opposite hand. "There are still enemies near the throne. Go back and fight with the others, okay? Kana and I will take care of everything."

The two brothers gave each other a nod and soared across the battlefield towards the army of Faceless. Midway, Kana shifted into his dragon form and Shigure could see the sharp glints of Dwyer's flying blades under the starlight.

For a moment, the young man was too stunned to move. He knew he had to do something, but was at a loss for specifically what.

Then he realized something. Two people were still mysteriously missing from the battlefield. Shigure gripped his weapon with newfound determination and reared back the horse. With a sharp yell, he bolted in the direction of the castle. He knew there were still enemies to fight, but the other fighters seemed to have the situation mostly under control. There was a more pressing question on his mind as he fiercely galloped across the bloodied plain.

Where was their leader?

The swing of a mighty fist seemed to shatter whatever armor was still intact on her body. After fighting desperately for what felt like hours, Corrin felt as if all life was drained from her body with the final blow. Her words were raspy as she cried out in vehement denial, "No…this can't be…"

Her body hit the ground with a deafening crunch. The next thing she heard was the voice of her usually composed but currently enraged husband. The same man who was just as bloody and battered as she was and had been at her side fighting enemy after enemy since their first encounter: Jakob.

"How dare you!" he cried, his voice blazing with fury as he ran forward and slashed the Faceless with w Silver Dagger. The monster went limp, but Jakob didn't cease his attack. Another large shape slinked up from behind its fallen ally and eyes Jakob with cold, murderous detachment. Jakob stared at the Faceless the same way. His second attack was circumvented by the appearance of another semi-visible mage and archer also approaching the duo. Their red eyes blazed with vengeance and despite multiple injuries to each one of them, they still had enough energy for one more attack. Jakob knew that he wouldn't be able to withstand three blows and deliver three attacks.

There was no way out. Not without Corrin.

The butler ran back to Corrin's side and. Using what little time they had, tried to heal her with a staff. The woman shook her head and pushed his hand back.

"No, Jakob," she pleaded, grunting through pain. "You have to get away. If you stay, you'll also…"

"I'm not leaving you," he swore, pushing against her and using the last of his magic to restore a little of her strength. There was no room for negotiation.

Just when the young woman felt a spark of life in her body, the shadow of a Faceless covered their forms and stood above them. Corrin reached for her Yato, but couldn't react fast enough. Jakob cursed violently and threw his last remaining dagger into the beast's bulging gut. The Faceless barreled over in agony and let out a tortured howl. The small attack gave Corrin the perfect opening to sneak in one final blow with her sword.

"I _won't_ surrender," she practically spat at the beast as she raised her blade for a critical attack. A few slashes later, she had gut the beast and turned its already grotesque form into a lifeless pulp.

When she raised her blade to attack the other two enemies, she found that they were already defeated and laying on the pavement. Confused, the Nohrian Noble lowered her blade and hesitantly watched at two figures approached from behind the defeated bodies of the archer and mage.

To her relief, two blue-haired allies greeted her wary eyes.

"Azura! Shigure!"

The mother and son duo stepped out of the darkness. Azura's naginata and Shigure's lance both dripped with red liquid that indicated they were the ones responsible for the sneak attacks that had saved their lives. Without them, it was quite possible she and Jakob would have perished.

Jakob slowly rose from his kneeling position where Corrin had previously fainted. The butler wasn't usually one for courtesy, but even he wasn't abrasive enough to not give the songstress and her son a thankful bow at their interference. "You found us. Thank you so much for your aid."

"Thank goodness you're both okay!" Shigure exclaimed reverently. "I'm so glad I found you. Nobody else had any idea who you were, so I found my mother on the battlefield and asked her what places in the camp hadn't been checked yet. My Pegasus was wounded, so I'm sorry we couldn't find you both faster…we had no idea you two were cornered."

When the first enemy had been spotted by Niles and Odin, Corrin had immediately run from the castle to attempt to locate the source spawning the waves of strong warriors. Needless to say, her husband and ever-faithful butler Jakob followed her every step of the way.

The two had hoped to find the dimensional rift as soon as possible and close it before more enemies could materialize. The task proved more difficult than either of them thought. Usually rifts that leaked interdimensional enemies weren't such a pain to pinpoint.

Random portals seemed to be a common occurrence, especially when the Deeprealms were concerned. Corrin recalled that children like Sophie and Velouria had even found the strange portals to their parents' dimension completely by accident. Coincidentally, hordes of enemies usually followed.

While attempting to locate and close the alleged portal and prevent as many enemies as possible from entering their realm, the two had become overwhelmed and almost gravely injured from their lack of reinforcements.

Apparently they had defeated the number of enemies sufficient enough to close the dimensional rift, wherever it had been. As she looked around the camp, she saw a great deal of dead bodies and carnage to some of their stores. Thankfully, nobody on their side seemed to be hurt, and all the enemies seemed to have been eliminated. They were lucky to have routed the enemy without any casualties on their end.

"I'm so glad you both are okay," the songstress confessed with teary eyes. "I was so worried when Shigure told me he hadn't seen either of you. You two should know better than to go off alone like that."

Corrin laughed softly and Jakob gave her an even stare. Although she was right, he still didn't like being scolded.

Still, Azura was a kind person and she had just saved them. He let the comment slide. There were more important things to worry about, surely.

"Regardless, thank you for thinking of us," Jakob said with sincere gratitude. Corrin nodded and went to embrace her two comrades, who accepted the affectionate gesture with more hesitation than usual. Such an unusual reaction elicited the immediate curiosity from Jakob. Usually comrades like Leo or Shura and even Flora were the ones to bristle at his wife's hugs and other signs of adoration. Azura and Shigure weren't on that list.

"What's wrong?" the butler asked with a soft chuckle and tilt of the head. The young man always had a slightly more pleasant mood, especially after a long battle and hard-fought victory. "It seems everyone is unharmed. Well, everyone is alive, at least. I should get right to work healing the others."

"Good idea," the princess said with a warm smile. "You and Dwyer can get on that immediately. I'm sure Flora, Felicia, Forrest, Shura and Izana can help too. Goodness, thank goodness we have so many healers!"

Azura and Shigure continued to remain oddly silent. Corrin was so happy after their narrowly clenched victory that she didn't seem to notice anything was immediately wrong. "We need to find out what happened tonight and why, but first, we should all relax! How about a feast of sorts? I'm sure everyone would love that!"

Again, silence followed Corrin's enthusiasm. The young woman noticed their unusual coolness and was about to remark on it when she realized something strange. Usually, at the end of any battle, Kana would run up to her or Jakob and shower them in hugs and kisses. This time, he was absent. Not only that, but she couldn't hear his exuberant voice or hear his dragon-like roars like usual.

"Speaking of Kana and Dwyer, where did those two go?" Jakob asked as he scanned the battlefield. After not spotting them immediately, he sighed in mild annoyance. "I saw them run onto the battlefield. Where could they have gone?"

The young woman looked back to her two blue-haired, Hoshidan allies. Before she could ask them what was wrong, a chill shook her body as she realized what else was amiss. Even though Shigure said his Pegasus had been injured, he was still riding a steed. The young man sat atop of medium-sized, brown horse that was draped with familiar gray and black decorations.

"Is that…Dwyer's horse?" Corrin asked slowly. Silence from both mother and son greeted her inquisition once more. The young woman was exhausted with their silence. When both failed to answer immediately, Corrin raised her voice and asked with more urgency, "Where are Kana and Dwyer?"

Fear squeezed her heart like a vice when both comrades replied with a slight shake of the head.

"We don't know," Shigure piped up hesitantly. When he saw the horror in Corrin and Jakob's eyes, he lowered his head and told them as calmly as he could. "I'm so sorry. Something went wrong."

 **-END-**

The title is taken from a Flamingosis song called 'what went wrong?'

Ironically, I didn't listen to it while writing this. I listened to the soundtrack for VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action…and it's amazing (the game and soundtrack.) It put me in the perfect mood.

Anyway, thanks for making it this far! I'll be back soon with more updates.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Something Went Wrong

Pairing: Corrin/Jakob

Rating: T (mild violence)

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership to anything in the Fire Emblem franchise, including the characters or plot. This story is merely written for fun out of love for the characters and games.

Author's Note: This wasn't supposed to be multiple chapters. Oops! The explanation/set-up just really went on longer than I thought it would. If this was all one body of text, I'm afraid it would have been discouragingly long.

 **Minor spoilers for mid-game of Conquest and Nohrian/Neutral child units are present.**

Enjoy!

 **-START-**

It had been only a few hours since Kana and Dwyer had officially gone missing.

Needless to say, everyone in the kingdom offered the young couple assistance in any way they could. Teams of different volunteers from their large troop practically dissected every inch of the plane within miles of the castle. If anyone stumbled upon anything remotely suspicious, it was to be immediately reported and investigated. So far, only one other portal had been found by a small team led by Camilla and her retainers.

Unfortunately, it was a false lead and the team had to return to the castle empty-handed.

"I'm so sorry, darling," Camilla had told her younger sibling upon returning with no answers. Corrin's eyes were still red. The irritation wasn't from crying, but from withholding tears and running herself ragged trying to find answers. Her voice sounded absolutely miserable and only fueled Camilla's desire to help her sibling even further.

"I'll head out on another exposition soon," she had told Corrin. "I just came back to report to you. I'll head out again immediately."

"Thank you, Camilla," the young woman had replied dryly. "I really appreciate your help.. Just…please be safe out there."

"Corrin…"

There wasn't a drop of life in her younger sister's words. Camilla's familial instincts begged her to offer Corrin more comfort in the form of sweet promises or tantalizing embraces. However, she realized for the first time that none of her usual gestures would ease her beloved sister's pain. With a heavy heart, Camilla promised Corrin that she would try her best and left without another word. She figured that effort was what the princess needed most at the moment, not petty gestures.

Her other three Nohrian siblings had offered the same level of ferocious assistance. Leo poured over all the books regarding the Deeprealms and alternate dimensions that he could find. Elise accompanied Xander on escapades that explored the nearby areas on horseback. Camilla and her team continued to explore the skies for any and all possible clues. Everyone worked late into the night and did what they could to keep the search efforts going. From fighting nearby enemies to soothsaying to even using freezing winds to keep people awake, all talents were welcomed and equally utilized.

A few hours of searching had turned up no fresh leads. Dawn was approaching, and for Corrin, hope was just as fleeting as the starlight. The longer her children were gone, the riskier their situation became. She knew every minute that they were missing was crucial. Their chances of finding them alive lessened with each passing second.

Meanwhile, Jakob was a furious hurricane of rage throughout the camp. His anger wasn't directed at anyone in particular, but he barked commands at the other servants in fury that made even Gunter flinch. The butler even raided all the stores and shops for useful inventory. He collected supplies and cooked meals. The man even distracted himself by doing multiple set of rounds around the camp each any every hour. If someone wasn't working, he'd give them a good tongue-lashing that was equal parts humiliating and unnerving. If there was work to be done, he did it.

Buttling took his mind off the torturous scenarios that were running through his head. If he kept working and yelling and screaming, perhaps more would get done. Troops could mobilize sooner and his sons could return home faster, safe and unharmed.

His logic lacked feasibility despite its correctness. It just wasn't that simple. Of course Jakob knew that…but that didn't mean he had to accept it.

There was only one person who was able to shed light and offer a possible explanation for the disappearance of the two boys.

After hearing Shigure's retelling of the battle's final moments, it didn't take Corrin long to piece together what had probably happened.

It seemed that children had rushed in to save Shigure and had stumbled upon a hoard of Faceless. The size of the group and the singular enemy type seemed to indicate they had crawled from a common portal. Although other enemy types were mixed into the ambush, they had been primarily assaulted by Faceless of varying degrees of power. Perhaps the other enemies were from the same astral plane and had merely been drawn to the castle from the Faceless attack, or perhaps it was a mere coincidence. There was no sure way to draw a conclusion as of yet.

Perhaps in attempting to rout the enemy, Dwyer and Kana had gotten cornered and thrust into the other dimension. The same dimension the enemies had crawled out of.

It seemed like the most likely outcome. However, it didn't bode well with Corrin or Jakob.

"If that's really what happened, then that means they're not in our world anymore," Jakob replied miserably, his eyes screwed shut as he spoke. It was as if he was attempting to blot out all the terrible possibilities that threatened to drive him mad. "It means that they're in another dimension with no surefire way of getting back."

Corrin and Jakob were having a discussion in their private chambers. The two had been ordered to take a break while the other units were patrolling the area. They had also spent hours searching and commanding troops with cutthroat strictness, but Xander had insisted the two return to the castle to take a beat and calm down. Although that wasn't what either party desired, they couldn't refuse and order from Xander, who also reassured everyone else would be looking far and wide for the missing duo. Corrin supposed it was ultimately for the best. After all, she and Jakob had a lot to discuss.

"If they're in another dimension, even another Deeprealm, we still don't know which one," Jakob continued fearfully.

As Corrin told Jakob Shigure's theory on what exactly had happened to their children, she could feel the sense of dread between them growing heavier and denser by the second.

"I know," Corrin replied miserably.

"Dammit, they could be anywhere," Jakob said, voice starting to brim with emotion. He was visibly struggling to come to terms with the cruelty of the situation. Corrin could see the signs easily; his gripped fists and deeply furrowed brow. Never before had Corrin seen her husband look so distraught.

The man stood slightly hunched before a window, unable to tear his gaze away even as he spoke to his spouse. It was as if he didn't want to look away just in case he saw his two children miraculously appear over the horizon.

"I know," Corrin sobbed in reply.

The butler turned to his wife and stared at her helplessly. All of a sudden, his composure broke and he also allowed a sob to rise in his throat. His trembling hands flew to his mouth. "Oh _gods_ , Corrin…"

Corrin, who had been doing her best to not cry, finally relented. The woman felt tears flow freely down her face as they escaped her aching eyes. She wordlessly ran to Jakob and pulled him into a crumbling embrace. The butler grabbed ahold of her desperately, as if she was a sturdy stone amidst a violent storm. His arms circled her smaller frame and he cried into her shoulder. Corrin did the same, grieving and howling against the lapels of his uniform.

It wasn't a glamourous moment of a couple moving each other to tears. There was only pain and agony. The only temporary bliss came from the emotional catharsis of shedding tears. Jakob didn't feel like a fool crying in front of Corrin, which was usually condemned by others as unnecessarily emotional, especially for someone as notoriously stoic and bitter as himself. At the same time, Corrin didn't give a second thought about sobbing in Jakob's presence. They'd seen each other cry before. It wasn't pretty, but neither cared.

All they wanted was for their children to be safe.

Soon, they would get back to work. They'd work without sleep or food to find their children and bring them home safe and alive.

That didn't change the fact that both also needed to depend on each other. Although they'd been hesitant at first, the couple found it relieving to take a moment to hold and appreciate one another. They would have to work together, and no amount of tragedy or stress could change that.

"Jakob…" Corrin wheezed, sniffling and pulling away from him slowly. Her husband did the same with equal deliberateness, as if he was afraid to pull away from her or let her go.

Although it was silly, she was relieved to see his eyes were just as red and puffy as hers. Corrin knew she wasn't attractive when she cried. She was an ugly-crier, as she had heard cruelly from some other servants from her childhood. As a result, she usually reserved emotional bursts involving tears to when she was alone or in Jakob's arms. Thankfully, seeing her beloved's tears gave her some solace and didn't make her feel weak or indulgent for her emotional liberation. The young woman reached up and used her thumb to gently wipe on of her husband's tears away. He shuddered and kissed her forehead thankfully. He was still somewhat breathless from sobbing.

"Corrin," he said as evenly as he could. The man smiled down at her and pressed his forehead against hers. Their faces were still wet from crying and their hands clammy from sickly worry, but they held each other and relished in the closeness of the other. "Corrin…we need to get to work. It's not fair for the others to work so hard while we're here."

Behind his professional words was sentiment she felt was clear as day.

"I agree," she said firmly. "We need to find them. We… _will_ find them."

The man's face was a picture of awe as he beheld his wife's face inches beneath his. Unarmored hands came up on both sides of her face and stroked gently, moving swiftly until his fingers were tangled in her wild hair. Being near her and touching her always grounded him, and now was no exception. Still cradling her face near his, he mumbled softly, "I'm glad we agree."

"We always do," she quipped with a breathy laugh. "It's funny how alike we are."

She wasn't sure the humor was all that appropriate, but she felt like they desperately needed at least a little something to chuckle about. To her relief, Jakob also smiled and laughed a bit.

She felt calmer than before. The woman felt renewed and energized after honestly conveying her worry and despair to her husband. Not only had he listened, but he'd reciprocated with his own fear and misery. It was an oddly sobering sensation.

"We'll bring them home," Jakob said firmly. The words were announced with such order that it didn't just sound like a sentiment for Corrin. It was as if his words were also met for his sons to hear.

"I know," she responded one last time. She nodded in agreement and the young couple shared a kiss. The kiss was a promise to their existence as a couple and their existence as a family.

They would always work as one.

Nothing would ever divide them for long.

She would make damned sure of that.

A few kerchiefs and splashes of cold water later, the couple set back out into the castle. Corrin grabbed her Yato and a fur-lined cloak from her wardrobe that her siblings had given her as a present a few years before to use for travelling in winter. She finally had a legitimate reason to wear it. Jakob readied some additional steeds for them to use from the stables. Thankfully, the structure had withstood the attack and all the beasts within were also unharmed. With help from Gunter, Flora and Felicia, he was easily able to get them equipped and saddled.

The search parties were chosen and directed by Corrin and Xander. Some individuals were ordered to stay back and watch the castle while others either volunteered or consensually agreed to participate in the search parties after being specifically asked.

Silas led one team alongside his daughter Sophie and some of the other knights. Elise and her retainers accompanied the knights, since Effie's strength and Arthur's gusto and optimism would be greatly appreciated. Elise's magic skills had also grown powerful enough that she could march towards the front of the brigade with Silas at her side. Their ensemble would raid accessible Deeprealms for any clues.

Xander led a separate team with Leo's help. Of course, Forrest and Siegbert followed their father's loyally and had no qualm about working with them. Xander would scan the nearby territory. Although he was much more familiar with Nohrian geography, he was still superb in regards to navigation and delegating.

Corrin led the third and final team, which consisted of Azura, Kaze, Camilla and her loyal retainers. Of course, Jakob traveled loyally by her side as well. Quite literally, the two led the group by trotting on their horses side by side. They had considered splitting up to cover more turf, but ultimately decided against it. Separating for any reason at such a crucial and painful time for both of them just seemed incredibly unwise.

Plus, _when_ they found Kana and Dwyer, both parents wanted to be there to greet and embrace their children. The word _when_ was the important part of that particular sentence.

She refused to even entertain the notion of losing her babies and never seeing them again.

Finally, at dawn, the three teams rode out in the search for any interdimensional portals or strange happenings that might lead them to the missing children. The mood was heavy and the atmosphere drenched in quiet as the teams mobilized and started a steady sweep across the countryside.

On the same dark horizon that the couple could see from their bedroom window, the sun slowly started to rise over the hill and vanquish the dark in the sky. Corrin's eyes burned at the light, and she reared up her steed to speed ahead through the hills and valleys before her. The symphony of galloping hooves behind her was almost deafening.

" _I'm coming for you two,"_ Corrin spoke internally, shutting her eyes as if sending a prayer to the gods above. In a way, that was exactly what she was doing.

" _Kana. Dwyer. Please…be safe."_

 **-END-**

Fun fact, I'm also an ugly-crier. I think everyone is at least at some point in their life, lol. For me it's just 100 percent of the time.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter! It's a little different than what I usually do, but it was fun! I'll be back with an update (updates?) soon!

Bye for now!


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Something Went Wrong

Pairing: Corrin/Jakob

Rating: T (mild violence)

Disclaimer: I own absolutely no part of the Fire Emblem franchise, including FE Fates. This story is written purely for fun and is derived from the enjoyment I got from playing the games.

Author's Note: Thanks for making it this far! I know updates have been sparse. Some weekends I can breeze through chapters with no problems whatsoever! Some others…I lose my inspiration and things go by a little more slowly. Or I swamped with work.

Still, thank you all for your amazing sweetness and patience! I've got stories with other pairings on the way, so I'll keep you guys posted on those too.

 **-START-**

 _"…wyer? Dwyer?"_

The young man furrowed his brows and screwed his eyes shut against the darkness. His body felt lifeless but filled with aches at the same time. A pounding sensation made all five of his senses feel jumbled and nauseatingly powerful at the same time.

Although his mind and body felt drained of energy, he was conscious enough to recognize the voice calling his name. A few seconds later, the frantic voice called to him again.

"Dwyer! Big brother, please wake up!"

This time, the man focused every shred of energy in his body on just opening his eyes. At first, blinding what light confused his vision. After a few seconds of searing brightness, a blurry face started to materialize. The mysterious visage was vague at first, but as the seconds dragged on, he could make out dark eyes and ashy eyebrows knitted together in what looked to be intense sadness.

His theory was confirmed when he felt a few droplets of water drip onto his clammy cheeks. It seemed the individual above him was crying. With a sigh, Dwyer formed a tiny smile and shut his eyes again.

"Ah, hello Kana."

Kana.

That was right. The last thing he remembered was fighting by Kana's side on the battlefield. It had been nighttime during their brawl, but the brightness that can almost blinded him moment ago seemed to indicate that at least a few hours had passed and that the sun had risen.

He and his brother had been fighting a hoard…and then everything seemed to go black.

Suddenly, a memory of fighting waves of Faceless played in his mind. Recollections and sensations from the battle came rushing back all at once, and he instantly remembered seeing his brother in transform into a dragon and slaying what must have been dozens of the burly monsters.

The sudden realization of their ordeal made Dwyer snap upright, despite his disorientation, and open his eyes to see unfamiliar terrain around them.

They'd been ambushed. The troubadour could recall that much. As he scanned the land around them, he realized with a grimace that they might have stumbled into a Deeprealm portal during their confrontation. No wonder so many Faceless had been able to spawn so suddenly.

Before Dwyer could curse their own rotten luck and begin to think about their possible dimensional whereabouts, two arms went around his shoulders and squeezed him hard enough to almost crack his ribs. The small attacker was none other than his little brother.

"Dwyer!" Kana sobbed, crying shamelessly against his brother's shoulder. "You're awake!"

The man pulled the small boy closer to his arms, reciprocating Kana's relief by returning his sibling's embrace with all the power his weak arms could manage.

"Kana!" Dwyer replied, his voice full of emotion that Kana had never heard from his usually apathetic brother before. Dwyer gently pushed Kana off of him and ran his hands over the boy's shoulders and cheeks to examine his sibling for any wounds. His nimble hands examined the boy's arm and legs for any obvious breaks or gashes. "Kana, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, I'm fine," Kana sniffled while managing a weak nod. "Just some…little scratches. They didn't hurt me much."

The statement came as a major relief to Dwyer.

"Thank the gods…" he said with a heavy sigh of respite. His brother's dragon form was truly something to be admired. They'd just beat an entire army of Faceless and the little boy appeared to have survived the affair with only a few minor injuries. It was a miracle Kana hadn't _actually_ broken his ribs with the incredible dragon strength the boy seemed to have.

Dwyer's thoughts were interrupted by whimpers coming from Kana. The boy was still crying even after seeing that his older brother was okay. With a confused stare, the troubadour asked his little brother, "Kana, why are you crying? I'm fine. You don't need to cry anymore."

Kana's words came out as sobs. "I…couldn't heal you."

Dwyer lifted a crescent brow in confusion.

"I'm…I'm not a healer," Kana said, eyes downcast as he tried desperately to wipe away his tears. "So I couldn't help you! I was so scared. I dragged you here, but you weren't waking up…and…and…."

Kana was running out of breath from talking so fast.

"Easy, easy…" Dwyer said soothingly, running a gloved hand through Kana's wild locks. "Shush. I'm awake and I'm fine, see?"

A few more sniffles later, Kana tried again to wipe his tears with the navy bandanna that usually adorned his neck in a kerchief fashion that almost mimicked their father's. Not wanting Kana to soil the garment, Dwyer brandished a kerchief for the boy to use instead. After a few more consoling words and few more snivels on Kana's part, the boy seemed to finally be cried out enough to speak comprehensively again.

"Feel better?" Dwyer asked.

"Yeah…" the boy said, giving Dwyer a toothy grin to reassure him. "I feel better."

"Good."

Kana stood up and helped Dwyer to his feet. The older man was still a little stiff, but was grateful to move around a bit and kick out the cobwebs a bit. He felt like he'd been out cold for a while. "Ugh. I feel more exhausted than usual. What the hell happened?"

Kana was able to validate Dwyer's theory that the two had gotten swept into a Deeprealm during the chaos of the ambush. According to the boy, they must have fought for hours. Eventually, exhaustion mingled dangerously with Dwyer's wounds and he collapsed. Thankfully, only a few Faceless remained for Kana to obliterate with his dragon form. After all the enemies had been routed, the portal had closed. All Kana could think to do was haul Dwyer to safety and hope that his brother would eventually wake up. The young boy refused to leave him behind, even to search for possible escape.

While Dwyer was thankful for his brother's quick thinking, it didn't provide a solution to the pressing problem at hand.

"So…how do we get out of here?" Kana asked with a worried frown.

"I don't know," Dwyer sighed.

"Well, mom and dad came to visit us in our Deeprealms sometimes, right?" Kana asked. One of his cheeks was puffed out rather comically while he mused. "How did they come and go?"

"The same way we got here, I suppose," the troubadour said with a shrug. "I must admit, I'm not sure."

Kana didn't seem deterred by the vagueness of their situation and kept thinking aloud. "Well, there has to be a way! Maybe if we go back to the spot where we originally were, the portal will reappear?"

"That seems like our best option," Dwyer admitted. It wasn't a great lead, but it was better than nothing. "Good thinking, Kana. Let's go."

"Okay!"

Kana grabbed Dwyer's hand and pulled the man along merrily. It seemed like he remembered the original spot where the stumbled into the new dimension. "I remember where to go! Come on, I'll take you!"

The boy seemed to have a spring in his step despite the lack of a guarantee that their idea would come to fruition. Dwyer had to admit he was a little envious of his brother's persistent optimism. It was a good thing at least one of them had a positive outcome on the uncertain events to come.

As the brothers made their way back across the planes of the new dimension, there wasn't a sign of a portal for miles. It fact, neither of them had seen a single lifeform. There were no people, no animals and no monsters. It was certainly unsettling to Dwyer, but he didn't dare to vocalize his apprehension. The last thing he wanted was to dampen Kana's spirits.

Finally, it was Kana who enunciated the oddness of the situation. "Um, Dwyer, doesn't this Deeprealm seem a little….bare to you?"

"Yeah," Dwyer admitted, looking around. This Deeprealm was definitely more barren than his had been, which had included a fully functioning town surrounded by thick woods. The land around them looked more akin to barren countryside. There weren't any landmarks or discernable markers for them to rely on for direction aside from a few rolling hills. Dwyer had to wonder how his little brother seemed to remember where the portal had been so easily.

"Hm…" Kana mused.

"What's wrong?"

"I dunno…" Kana said. "I know I said it's bare here, but…it's kind of familiar."

"Familiar?" Dwyer droned questionably. "How so?"

The little boy hummed in thought and continued to swing his head in every direction while they walked. He was looking over every inch of terrain that was visible to them. Finally, Kana stopped in his tracks and inhaled sharply in realization.

When Dwyer saw Kana stop, he followed his brother's gaze to see a small house tucked against a sloping hillside. To the troubadour, it looked like an ordinary cottage.

It wasn't until Kana spoke up that he realized the reason behind his brother's behavior.

"That was my house," Kana said slowly. He lifted a hand and pointed to the quaint cottage and said again in a hopeful voice, "That was my house!"

The older man blinked stupidly and looked at Kana with wide eyes. Even his usually slumped posture had perked up a little bit.

"You can't mean…" Dwyer asked voice also hopeful as Kana swung around and jumped for joy in his brother's arms.

"Big brother, this was _my_ Deeprealm!" Kana exclaimed jubilantly. "We can get home!"

 **-END-**

One more chapter!

Thank you guys so much for reading. I'll be back with an update soon!


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Something Went Wrong

Pairing: Corrin/Jakob

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I own no part of the Fire Emblem franchise, including the characters or plot of Fates. This story is written for fun out of enjoyment for the game and the characters.

Author's Notes: The Echoes characters just dropped in FE Heroes, and on my last roll, I got a five star Alm! I had to sacrifice rolling a Bunny Xander, but I'm so happy I saved my orbs for him! I still need a good lance user though…I was holding out for Ephraim, but I've had no luck, lol.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this last chapter of this little story! Thanks for hanging with me through the typos and craziness!

 **-START-**

Avel slowed from a gallop to a trot as Sophie approached a large, grassy knoll a few miles from the castle. The girl pressed onward cautiously to investigate the landmark.

The young woman had spied the hill and could have sworn she saw the shadow of something moving just from the other side of the small mound. With her father yelling behind her, the young woman had sped ahead to examine the sight. She'd hoped desperately to find the two missing persons from their army.

Sophie drew her sword and mentally prepared herself to fight or, worse, see a gruesome sight before her.

Fortunately, the source of the shadow was just a small shrub barely hidden behind the hill. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the two people she was looking for. Upon discovering the disappointing find, the young woman heaved a deep sigh silently commanded Avel to come to a halt.

There were still no signs of Kana and Dwyer. It had been almost half a day since their disappearance.

Sophie stood silently for a few seconds until she heard the sound of her father's horse trotting up behind her. It seemed he had managed to catch up with her. The young woman turned to face him and managed a weak smile.

"Sophie…" Silas said, his tone dripping with concern. His expression was one of equal melancholy as he looked over the mound to see nothing but foliage and shrubbery. "It was a dead end, huh?"

"Yeah, another one…" she replied listlessly. Sophie lowered her sword and slid the weapon back into its sheath.

The father and daughter duo looked at each other for a few seconds. Both looked exhausted, with dark circles under their eyes and sweat on their brows. They had been leading one of the search parties to find the two missing royals for a few hours. So far, they'd yet to find anything. Regardless, Silas grinned back at his daughter optimistically and approached her. The knight placed a gentle hand on her trembling back.

"Don't worry, Sophie," Silas said hopefully. "We'll find them. We've been fighting this war for months now, going up against entire armies and navigating battlefields way worse than this. We haven't lost anybody yet, and we're not going to start now."

"Daddy…" Sophie warbled, tears threatening to still down her lashes. The young woman held back a sob and asked, "This is _my_ fault, isn't it?"

"Your fault?" Silas inquired with genuine confusion. "How is that?"

"You're…one of Lady Corrin's retainers, right?" she stuttered, desperately trying to wipe her eyes before any actual tears spilled down her cheeks. "That makes me one of Kana's retainers. I should have been protecting him! That also makes Dwyer one of my teammates…and I wasn't there for him either. I failed both of them. I didn't even think to find them and protect them!"

Silas looked at his daughter with hurt eyes. Had the knight not been seated atop a horse, he could have pulled Sophie's sniffling form into a consoling embrace.

"No, Sophie, you can't blame yourself," Silas said soothingly. His hand gave her shoulder a reassuring but rigid squeeze. "What Kana and Dwyer did was brave, but they still shouldn't have rushed in alone."

The girl seemed to take offense to that statement.

"It's not fair to blame them!" Sophie interjected with a brisk whip of her head. "They did what they had to do to save Shigure. Someone should have been guarding him!"

To her surprise, she saw her father smile.

"Exactly," Silas replied. "Sophie, we were in the middle of a battle. There were a million different factors at play. Dwyer and Kana rushed in to protect Shigure. Shigure ran to get back-up, and realized Corrin and Jakob were cornered. The rest of us could have helped, but we were all swamped on the battlefield."

As Sophie mused over her father's words, Silas reached up and ran his hand over the top of Sophie's head to smooth down her unruly hair.

"There's no _one_ person to blame," he told her truthfully. "Everyone shares a little bit of liability, but what happened was nobody's fault. It's impossible and worthless to assign blame. What we have to do now is find them safe and alive."

The consoling action combined with her father's kind words brought a smile to Sophie's face.

"Father," she said, slowly blinking away her tears. "Thank you. You're right."

The young woman regretted that she'd wasted even a second being so selfish, but it had almost been worth it to hear her father's comforting words. He was still the best teacher she could ever imagine, especially when it came to her growth as a knight. To doubt his words would provide her comfort and insight for multiple situations in the future. She had no doubt in her mind that their army would face many more battles together, and it wouldn't be the last time.

"You're right, obviously," she repeated with a firm nod. "Let's get back to work!"

Before Silas could reply, a loud sound perforated the air and severed his response. It started as a low rumble but grew quickly into what sounded like a whirling rush of air. The two knights pinpointed the direction of the sound and looked to each other with eyes as wide as saucers.

The noise sounded like the opening of a Deeprealm portal. Sophie recalled it clearly from her own childhood, and Silas was also acquainted with the noise from the countless days he crossed dimensions to visit his daughter.

Without a word, both hitched their horses and rushed onward to immediately investigate the sound.

* * *

With no news about her two children, Corrin felt like she was finally starting to lose hope. It would have been one thing to lose her children on a regular battlefield, or even inside a city with known prisons or dungeons her army could infiltrate. The Deeprealms were another story.

Although going from one specific dimension to another to visit their children was a simple procedure most mages and anyone with some magical knowledge could navigate with ease, that didn't change the vastness of the alternate dimensions. There were countless branches of the Deeprealms, some of which Corrin was certain her team had never explored.

As the sun got lower in the sky, Corrin's hope sank along with it. Regardless, she maintained a brisk pace.

Deep inside, she knew there was very little she and her comrades could do on their end. It would mostly be up to Kana and Dwyer to find a portal in their own world, perhaps in the same area that had spawned the hoard of Faceless, and exit the realm from there. Although logic clearly dictated that there was essentially nothing she could do besides search the local area, that wasn't going to stop her from combing as much of the countryside as possible for her family.

Thankfully, she was hardly alone in her efforts.

She and her husband had broken off from the remainder of their team, who had returned to the castle to briefly regroup and swap out party members. While the search for their children had been fruitless, they'd still stumbled upon some enemies in the astral plane. Some other troops had been wounded, and both Corrin and Jakob had a couple crudely bandaged wounds of their own.

Regardless, they persisted.

"Jakob, do you see anything?"

As Corrin hollered back to her husband a couple feet back, she received a somber shake of the head in reply. The woman felt her heart sink, but didn't allow her expression to show the true horror she felt. The woman looked back to her butler and urged her horse to gallop closer to him.

Once she was close enough, Corrin reached out and took one of Jakob's hands. The man lifted his eyes to meet Corrin's, which shone with equal parts solace and heartache.

"Corrin, are you sure you're okay?" Jakob asked, his lilac eyes moving to her shoulder. His gaze rested on an angry red scar on her upper arm. A couple hours ago, the couple stumbled upon a small group of archers with Steel Bows. Although they had managed to take out most of the enemies from afar, one of the arrows had still managed to pierce her armor and leave a nasty wound on her shoulder.

Once the battle had ended, Jakob had plucked the arrow from her body and healed the agonizing cut to the best of his ability. Still, a scar bloomed bright red on her shoulder, and he could see from the way Corrin moved her arm and held her Yato that the ache in her muscles wasn't fully healed.

Unfortunately, Jakob had used most of his healing magic during their earliest escapades to heal only the most grievous injuries in their army. Plus, they couldn't be too wasteful with supplies. Nohr was notoriously lacking in assets ranging from food to weapons. They couldn't use every healing staff in the kingdom on one excursion, no matter the reason.

After all, they still had a war to fight and battles to be won.

The mere idea of fighting those battles and winning the war without her two children made Corrin more nauseous and weak than any injury a foe could inflict upon her.

Still, she was a princess. It was her responsibility to be as unbiased as possible when weighing her options for the greater good, no matter how much the idea pained her.

"I'm fine," she swore weakly. Her vague words betrayed her true emotions. "It hurts, but it's bearable. More importantly, how are you? Are you okay?"

Jakob was her butler and wasn't nearly as strong as her. Although he could attack from a distance and mend wounds, it still wasn't enough. She had seen that her husband had taken a few hits, as indicated by his slightly slumped posture and the spots of blood on the stark white jacket of his uniform.

"Of course," Jakob replied, the lie coming easily to him. "I'm fine, my lady. Please don't worry about me."

Corrin could immediately identify his insincerity, but because she was also being dishonest about the true pain of her injuries, she decided it was fair to let it slide for the moment.

The two realized that their existing strategy of merely riding around the countryside and scoping for any Deeprealm portals wasn't effective. Although Corrin had heard that some other teams had spotted some portals near the castle, she'd all heard that they'd been false leads and had ultimately yielded no new clues. It seemed that the two need to reexamine their strategy, although in her mind, there really were no other options for them to act upon. Their hands were essentially tied.

"We can't give up," Corrin said determinedly. "Maybe they escaped from a portal somewhere far out and are lost."

"I've heard from Lady Camilla that she and our other fliers have been combing the skies as much as possible," he said. "So far, they've turned up nothing. We might need to expand our search another few miles."

Corrin knew expanding the search another couple miles would be a lot to ask from the troops. People were already tired, and if the search went on for days, no doubt their entire army would be too weary to fight or defend themselves in further combat. The countless _ifs_ and _whys_ swirled mercilessly in her brain, whipping and pounding against her skull until her thoughts were so muddled and mixed up that it was impossible to think straight. It didn't help that she was sleep-deprived and sick with worry.

Jakob watched his wife keenly, noticing a change in her usually unwavering demeanor. Of course, he knew the reason why. He drew closer, dismounted his horse, and went to her side. The man removed the spiked gauntlet from one of his hands. He reached up and cupped Corrin's face lightly.

His knowing silence finally urged Corrin to speak her concerns.

"I never thought I'd have to make this choice," the young woman said suddenly. She pursed her lips and averted her eyes, keeping them on the scenery and sprawling plains around them. With a little whimper, she muttered, "I don't know how to do this. How am I supposed to be the one to decide what's more important?"

Jakob gave her a sympathetic stare and used his thumb to lightly trace the bottom of her lash line where a tear threatened to fall. "Corrin, my love…"

"We have no resources," she went on despondently. She lifted her hand to cover Jakob's and grip it fiercely. "There are barely any weapons, barely enough food to keep everyone fed…and now I'm asking everyone to give me their time for something I should have done."

"For what _we_ should have done," he reminded her with surprising sternness.

The princess looked to Jakob and saw that his face was surprisingly distant. She'd never seen Jakob, who was usually unconditionally amicable with her, speak shortly to her. It was a sobering shock to the young woman.

"Lady Corrin, with all due respect," he began slowly, his hand still gentle on her cheek as his thumb gently caressed beneath on of her puffy eyes. "Now isn't the time to cast blame. Every second we spend doubting ourselves is a second lost."

"Jakob," she said, eyes widening slowly as he spoke.

"You are a princess, my love," he said slowly. "I'm sorry to say this, but you can't break down. You don't have that privilege."

The princess knitted her brows together and looked at her husband in bewilderment. Her mind raced to find the reasoning behind his words.

 _That…privilege? How can he say that? They're my children! If I can't look for them, then how…?_

The butler would have never been so brutally honest with her if the circumstances weren't so dire. After all, he had no place to speak to her in such a way. Although both were technically equals in the eyes of the Nohrian kingdom and were absolutely equals in the eyes of each other, it didn't change the fact that Corrin had been raised as a royal and he'd been raised as a servant. Unlike his wife, he'd received no formal education on how to run and kingdom and juggle the many responsibilities of a noble. His reason for speaking wasn't to lecture her, but to remind her of the reality of the situation.

"My lady, if you need to cry, or scream or do anything to vent your emotions, you must do so," he told her with a small smile. "You are the leader of our troops and a future Queen of Nohr. We can't give up. _You_ can't give up. You're correct when you say we don't have the resources to search aimlessly, and that is true. Failure isn't an option. We cannot search endlessly."

His words hurt, but she knew he was speaking the truth.

"That is why we can't give in," he reminded her. "We can't search forever, and we will not accept failure as an option. Our only option is to move forward and succeed. Nothing more, nothing less."

The woman smiled, knowing that Jakob was as resolute as she was when it came to finding Kana and Dwyer.

"So, whatever you need to do to keep going, that's what you must do," Jakob said adamantly. "Corrin, we _will_ find them. We have to find them."

The grit in his words left absolutely no room for objection or argument, not that Corrin had any desire to disagree with him in the first place. In fact, they couldn't agree more.

Corrin also couldn't help but notice the man sounded like the noble he technically was by blood, before he was abandoned by his parents at Castle Krakenburg. He spoke like a true royal, full of bravery even in the face of horrifying possibilities. For some reason, seeing his unfaltering confidence gave her a much needed boost of energy.

Like usual, he was her emotional rock. It didn't matter how many enemies she could demolish on the battlefield or how confident she speared before even the strongest of foes, Corrin needed him emotional strength to keep her grounded and sane in trying times. Even with her strength and intellect, he was her heart.

"Thank you, Jakob," Corrin said, nodding down at him. She leaned down slightly so that they could be eye-level, instead of her looking down upon him. The woman titled her forehead to gently bump against his. Her lips caught the side of his temple, causing him to smile and return the gesture by placing a feather-light kiss on her cheek. Corrin spoke softer than a whisper and said, "This is why I love you."

Jakob blushed and looked at his wife lovingly.

"I love you too," he replied with a slightly embarrassed chuckle. Even after marriage and two children, the butler's cheeks still turned pink when Corrin uttered those three special words to him.

Even after all the stress and nightmarish battles they'd been through, the two were still an inseparable team.

All of a sudden, a large shadow fell over the couple and shrouded them in darkness. Both looked up to see that the source of the darkness was from the large wingspan of a wyvern soaring over them. Atop the beast sat Corrin's big sister Camilla, who used one hand to steer the beast and another to wield a huge axe. The woman looked frantic and, when she caught sight of the young couple, swooped down immediately to join them. Corrin inferred from Camilla's urgency that she had some news for them.

"Camilla!" Corrin said, rushing toward the purple-haired woman as soon as her winged steed reached the ground. "What's wrong?"

The woman didn't even bother to dismount from her dragon as she hovered above her little sister. Corrin had never seen Camilla, who was usually so composed, speak so hurriedly before.

"My darling," the woman started, surprisingly breathless from merely riding atop her mount. It looked as if she'd just come from an arduous battle. The closer Corrin got to her, the more notable the blood stains on her skin and dents in her armor became.

Corrin's blood ran icy at the sight and she looked to Camilla with wild eyes. "Big sister, what is it?"

"Corrin, we found a portal," the woman said, swallowing a lump in her throat. She was so tired that the mere act of forming words was a huge effort.

Seeing her powerful big sister in such a weakened state only added to the mounting sensation of fear Corrin felt.

"And?" Corrin inquired impatiently. "What did you find?"

"Silas and Sophie found a Deeprealm portal about a mile west of here," she said weakly. "A hoard of Faceless was coming through…and Kana and Dwyer are there. I've sent my retainers to go notify the other troops to come with reinforcements. Come, my dear, I'll lead you both there."

Camilla's final words barely registered with Corrin. Her heart and mind were still soaring with joy at the report Kana and Dwyer had been found. They were _alive._

They were alive…and fighting the same monsters that had also ripped them away forever.

Without prompting, Corrin snapped the reigns of her horse and rode as fast as she could behind her sister. Jakob followed suit with equal urgency.

Their children had been found. Now they had to get them home alive.

* * *

Kana and Dwyer stood back to back with their weapons in hand. They were surrounded by a mob of grey-skinned, awkwardly muscled beasts. A cacophony of screams and moans surrounded them like a disorienting cocoon, and made it almost impossible for both brothers to talk to each other.

"Dammit," Dwyer swore, looking around with furious eyes. "How many of these things are there?"

"There's no end in sight!" Kana cried. The boy was clutching his Drangonstone with a bruised hand, ready to transform at any moment. "Big brother, what do we do?"

"We have to fight them," Dwyer said sharply. "We have no choice."

They were lucky enough to make it back to their home dimension. All they could do is fight until they perished or until reinforcements came.

While venturing through Kana's Deeprealm, the brothers had indeed stumbled upon a portal. A vortex had spawned in the same place the boys had originally passed through when ambushed by the hoard of monsters hours ago. Upon further investigation and a couple hesitant pokes, the brothers were thrilled to see that the vortex led back to familiar territory.

Finally, they could get home. Before the portal could vanish, both boys jumped through. Kana had entered the portal first, much to Dwyer's chagrin, and the troubadour immediately followed suit.

Upon reentering their home dimension, a gruesome surprise awaited them. A massive mob of Faceless had respawned, presumably from the same portal they'd passed through earlier. Once the boys stepped onto solid ground, they were immediately assailed with heavy punches and blows that could shatter bones.

Even with a pile of bodies at their feet, there was no end in sight.

"What rotten luck," Dwyer griped as he tossed a dagger into a nearby monster's throat. The Faceless let out a screech as blood boiled from the slice in its meaty neck. The being hit the ground and sprawled across the grass lifelessly. "They're not strong, but there are a lot of them."

"Brother…" Kana whimpered, his grey eyes locking on Dwyer's taller form. The young boy's optimism was finally starting to give out. They were so close to home, but so far at the same time. It was slowly sinking in that he and his brother might perish.

The boy felt his breath come rapidly as panic startled to settle in. Tiredness was starting to set in, and his weakness was only magnified as any hope of seeing his family again became more and more fleeting. As the boy sank to his knees and watched as a Faceless charged toward him like a bull, all he could do was brace for the bone-shattering attack. The last thing he heard was his brother Dwyer screaming his name.

Seconds later, he heard the metallic clang of a blade and felt a swift breeze caress his face. The pain of an attack never came.

The little boy slowly opened his eyes and saw a familiar knight standing before him. A large sword had deflected the monster's attack prevented the Faceless's mighty fist from pummeling his body to a pulp. The knight then raised the blade over his head and slashed his Brave Sword through the opponent's chest. Kana looked up to see the identity of the knight.

"Gunter!" Kana cried out, his eyes shining as the knight flicked the blade of his sword to whisk the blood on his blade into the grass.

The older man turned around and faced the young boy. Instead of offering to help the boy up or pulling up atop his horse, he glared daggers at the child and looked down his nose at him in mock disappointment.

"What are you doing, child?" he commanded. What his voice lacked in sweetness made up for in its gallantry. "Don't tell me you've decided to become a coward. Stand up and fight!"

Kana could tell the old knight's meanness was merely a strategy to get him off the ground. It was a form of tough love that the old man had used with Kana's father, Dwyer and him during training and grueling battles. For some reason, his mother was the only one that seemed to escape the old man's coldness.

Regardless of his true intentions, the scolding seemed to work. Kana was so filled with adrenaline at the sight of a familiar ally that he bolted upright from the ground and instantly transformed into his dragon form. The creature let out a might roar and followed Gunter onto the battlefield without hesitation.

Silas and Sophie had rushed to Dwyer's aid a few feet away, with Silas pulling the young man atop his horse while Sophie assailed the enemies with her spear.

"You jerks!" Sophie said as she slashed the monsters with her blade. Dwyer had never seem the cheery girl fight so mercilessly before. She cried out, "You dare to hurt my friends? Take that!"

Silas stayed back with Dwyer, keeping the young man atop his horse while his daughter attacked and distracted the beasts.

"Are you okay?" Silas asked frantically, looking over the young man. He didn't seem to have any injuries, although he could tell from the man's paleness and some other minor injuries that he and Kana had faced a lot of enemies. The young man was obviously exhausted, and if back-up hadn't arrived at that moment, both might be dead.

"I'm fine," Dwyer groaned, obviously lying through his teeth. "Thank you Silas. Put me down. I can…"

"You're not doing anything," the knight ordered. "Reinforcements are coming. They'll take you and Kana home. We can take care of it from here."

"Reinforcements are coming?" Dwyer asked, his heavy eyes blinking slowly at the word. It was as if the words were foreign to him. It was a testament to the true state of his exhaustion.

The next sight that he saw was his wyvern-riding aunt, Camilla, soaring overhead. The woman's curls whipped in dizzying spirals behind her as she rushed forward to cleave a beast with her strongest axe. She was immediately joined by Xander, whose might blade Siegfried allowed him to attack the beast from a few spaces back. Once they were weakened, he rushed in to deliver the final blow. As the Nohrian siblings took over, Sophie and Avel jumped back from the battle to rest. Faceless weren't intelligent or witty, but they were numerous and had brute strength. As long as units took turns and attacked with partners, everyone would be fine.

A few moments later, Elise rose up alongside Silas.

"Dwyer!" she cried out, her pigtails drooping lopsidedly on either side of her head. He could that his other aunt had also been fighting ruthlessly with her fantastic magical abilities. Seeing the adorable girl in such a state of disarray was incredibly surreal.

"You're okay!" the blonde girl spoke with incredible relief as she dug through her pack. "Here, let me…"

As the girl reached into her parcel to brandish a healing staff, Dwyer pushed her hand back and gave her a little smirk. "No, don't waste it. I'm fine. Just…tired."

The girl didn't seem emotionally convinced, but knew his logic was sound. Instead, she circled the battlefield and used her magic to paralyze what enemies she could, which would allow her allies to attack with better accuracy. Once completed, she would circle back around and stick near Silas and Sophie.

It didn't take long for more and more troops began to arrive.

Leo soon joined the fray, using his mighty tome Brynhildr to demolish any and all enemies unfortunate enough to be in his way. The royal retainers all followed suit, joining their respective lieges in the ongoing battle. Very quickly, the number of Faceless began to dwindle.

As soon as Gunter saw more units had arrived to help, the man decided Kana had bought enough time. He beckoned the young man atop his horse and delivered him to the edge of the battlefield so he could join his brother Dwyer, who was still being guarded by Silas, Sophie and Elise.

Gunter dropped Kana off with the knights and young princess. Although the knight had originally chastised Kana for resigning himself to defeat, he also didn't intend for the boy to fight the entire battle. Besides, the young boy had fought enough and was clearly drained of energy.

Elise took the little boy atop her horse and held him tightly.

"Aunt Elise!" Kana cried happily upon seeing the blond girl. He instantly returned the hug, beyond thrilled to see his family coming to their help. "You guys came!"

All of the Nohrian royals had responded quickly and were easily able to fend off attacks from the beasts. Kana watched as all his family members fought tooth and nail to defend them, without regard for their own injuries or safety. The sight was so captivating that he didn't notice two more combatants trot onto the battlefield.

" _Kana! Dwyer!"_

Both brothers heard their names being called by two incredibly familiar voices. The brothers turned to see their parents, bruised and bloody from battles, ride towards them. Dwyer's eyes widened at the sight and Kana needed to be restrained by the Elise to prevent him from barreling off the horse and running to them at dangerous speeds.

"Mama! Papa!" Kana cried out in joy.

Upon seeing his parents, Dwyer felt a guilty pang in his chest. His mother and father looked badly wounded, as if they'd been fighting for hours. The more he thought about it, that's probably what the whole army had been doing. The man winced at that fact, but it didn't change the fact that he was beyond happy to see his parents again, and happy to see that they were alive despite obvious injury. His first instinct was to run to them and see if they needed any help, but his body was so weak that he couldn't move even if his life depended on it.

Corrin and Jakob made a beeline for their children. Corrin dropped her Yato into the soft ground and jumped off her horse to run and grab Kana, throwing her arms around the young boy and squeezing tightly. She muttered his name in relief over and over, seemingly unable to stop herself. "Kana…Kana…"

Jakob rode up to Silas's horse and instantly tended to Dwyer, trying to be as gentle as possible. He could see the young man was incredibly weak, and didn't want to cause him any more pain, no matter how tempting it was to pull him into his arms.

"Dwyer!"

"Father…" the young man said, slightly more alert after seeing his parents again. Their faces were certainly a welcome sight.

"Thank the gods you're okay," Jakob said, completely and utterly frantic as he scanned his son for any grievous injuries. Silas gently helped the young man off of his horse and onto Jakob's, where he leaned against his father weakly. Dwyer hated feeling so useless, but supposed the current situation was an exception. He was just glad his father hadn't given him a good tongue-lashing upon finding him. He supposed that would come later.

"Are you badly hurt?" Jakob asked as looked his son over. "It doesn't seem that you are, but gods, you're pale as a ghost."

"Father, I'm okay," Dwyer swore with a tiny smile. "I'm always pale."

It was odd so see his father so frazzled and unnerved, especially because of him. The feeling of guilt he felt before throbbed like a dull ache, mingling with the physical pain he already felt to make him feel truly feeble.

To his surprise, Jakob didn't glare at him for the little bit of sarcastic humor. Instead, he pulled the boy tightly against his heart. Although it was a little painful to be so powerfully embraced at that moment, Dwyer didn't mind and had no desire to push away.

Corrin joined her husband, carrying Kana in her arms. The two took a moment to fawn over their children, beyond thrilled that they were okay. Dwyer was close to unconsciousness and Kana was pressed so tightly against his mother that all other sensations, including sight and sound, were seemingly blocked off.

"What happened?" Kana barely heard Elise ask while he was pressed tightly against his mother's shoulder. "I thought you guys were only a mile out from here."

"We ran into more enemies on the way," Corrin replied breathlessly, her hand running through Kana's wild hair. "We defeated most of them, but there's more on their way."

"Are you serious?" Silas asked, looking into the distance to see even more enemies approaching them at an alarming rate. Upon seeing the hoard Corrin was talking about, the knight cursed. "Damn! There's no way Kana and Dwyer can stay here. It's not safe."

"For once, I agree with you," Jakob said, looking to the knight with a brisk nod. Silas couldn't help but smile a little at how Jakob's words seemed to contradict the thankfulness in his eyes. "We need to get them home."

Corrin scanned the battlefield and examined what troops were fighting. In her head, she appeared to be debating numerous battle strategies in an attempt to decide which solution would be best. Finally, the woman made a choice and turned to her allies with a stone-like expression.

"Jakob, you and Elise take Kana and Dwyer and ride back to camp," Corrin ordered. "I'll stay back and fight off the rest those monsters."

The last phrase caught Kana's attention and made him snap his head upward. His grey eyes brimmed with tears and he desperately clung to his mother, his fingers seemingly glued to her dented armor. " _No!_ Mama, it's too dangerous. You're already badly hurt too!"

Jakob looked at his wife with wide, questioning eyes. With Dwyer still in his arms, he shook his head in denial. "Out of the question, Lady Corrin. You can't do that!"

After everything they'd just been through, the last thing he'd wanted to do was leave her behind. They'd already almost lost their children, and even before that, the two had almost been fatally ambushed in their own castle. To Jakob, leaving Corrin wasn't an option. He was too afraid that, considering recent events, he'd never see her again.

The woman saw the obvious concern etched on her husband's face and went to console him.

"Jakob," Corrin replied with a soft smile. "I'll be fine. I'll stay back with Camilla, Leo and Xander."

"But, big sister…" Elise stammered, sharing the same hesitancy as Jakob when it came to leaving Corrin on her own. "Jakob, Dwyer and I are the only healers! If you guys get injured, then nobody can help you."

"We'll be fine," Corrin refuted. "Reinforcements are coming, right? We have plenty of other healers on the way if we need them. Besides, I trust you guys the most to get my family home."

Jakob wasn't convinced, but Elise seemed to resign to Corrin's demands. She knew that when he big sister wanted something, it was impossible to convince her otherwise. That stubbornness was great on the battlefield and utterly frustrating in most other circumstances. Silas and Gunter kept their hesitation hidden and merely agreed to follow through with their leader's orders.

Corrin returned her son to Elise, who was reluctant to let her go of his mother. Jakob dropped a kiss on his younger son's forehead in an attempt to soothe him, which worked to a degree. The butler turned to his wife with a worried expression, obviously reluctant to let her go.

"Lady Corrin…" he muttered, eyes downcast and filled with deep concern. Dwyer leaned against him, still awake despite the incredible temptation to give into the pain and just sleep. Corrin walked over to her family, plucking her Yato from the ground along the way. She swept her hand across Dwyer's forehead and then rested in against Jakob's jaw.

"Jakob, please get them home for me," the woman pleaded. "Get Kana and Dwyer to safety. I'll lead the troops here, and be back by sundown."

The butler was silent as she spoke. Finally, he relented with a sigh and nod of agreement. The man could hear the hoard of monsters draw closer, and knew there wasn't much time for discussion. As much as he hated it, he knew he had to leave his wife to get their children home.

"Promise me you'll come back, Corrin," he asked her fiercely, squeezing her hand and bringing it to his lips. "You must promise me you'll come back to us safely."

He didn't want their family to be forced apart again.

The Nohrian royal nodded, giving Jakob's hand a firm squeeze.

"I promise," she swore. "I'll be back soon."

She longed to kiss him and embrace their children, but knew there wasn't time. They released each other's hand and parted ways for the first time since the debacle began.

Elise, Jakob and the knights galloped off into the distance with the children in their protective grasps. Gunter and Silas rode in front, serving as bodyguards for the two healers and their injured companions. If they came across any enemies, no doubt the two nights would serve as ample protection. Sophie had also followed her father and liege back to the castle, and rode behind the group as protection against any possible sneak attacks.

Corrin watched them ride until the group was out of sight, then brandished her blade and ran into the battlefield.

"You beasts dare to hurt my family?" she questioned, watching as the Faceless drew closer without discretion. She grimaced and raised her Yato, knowing her siblings weren't far away and were fighting with all their might at her side. Their closeness gave her the courage she needed to muscle through the final part of the long, emotional battle she'd experienced for hours.

"If you come closer, I'll soak these fields with your blood!" Corrin roared, eyes blazing as she pointed her sword.

As the beasts drew closer, the young princess raised her blade with every intention of keeping that promise.

* * *

As the sun set over the astral castle, everyone was on pins and needles waiting for the return on the Nohrian royals. Finally, in the distance against the setting sun, four familiar shadows slowly emerged over the horizon.

"They're back! The princess has returned!"

The words were hollered by the ninja Kaze, who was guarding the front gate to the astral castle and patrolling the area for any more enemies looking to invade their castle. While patrolling, he'd caught sight of the familiar gold glint of Nohrian armor and spied the royals approaching the castle from a distance.

Almost immediately, everyone in the castle was alerted and rushed to meet the royals and their respective retainers at the gate.

Reinforcements had indeed showed up and, after a few turns of attacking and the occasional critical blow, the group had emerged victorious. Just like Corrin had promised her husband, she returned victorious from battle before sundown.

Upon riding into camp, the woman hopped off her horse and asked where her children were and if they'd made it back to the castle safe. Kaze immediately told her the group had returned safely hours before and that her children were resting in their respective chambers.

"Jakob is watching over them," Kaze told her. He also told her that, for the sake of simplicity, both boys were resting in Kana's bedroom for the moment. It would be easier to watch over both of them in one room versus running back and forth. Since neither of the boys was gravely injured, they'd probably sleep in their own bedrooms without medical supervision later that night. The fact reassured her that Jakob had kept up his end of the deal in that he'd not only gotten them home, but had also nursed them back to health.

"Do you need anything, milady?" the green-haired ninja asked fretfully. "I can bring food, water, medicine…anything you need."

"That's okay, Kaze," Corrin said with a thankful nod. The woman couldn't even think of her own needs at the moment. Although she was a bloody mess, all she wanted to do was see her children and make sure they were okay and alive. While her royal siblings addressed everyone else in the castle, Corrin ran up to the treehouse tucked near the back wall and hurried up the steps. None of the other castle inhabitants questioned her sudden absence and knew it would be best to give the small family some privacy.

A few moments later, Corrin gently knocked on the door to Kana's bedroom. To her joy, it was Kana's voice that answered her knock.

"Ah, that must be Mama!" she heard her youngest son say, which caused her to laugh. Even after a hellish ordeal and almost perishing in a battle against some of the most horrifying monsters in the land, her son was still a ray of sunshine.

The next voice belonged to her husband.

"Hush, Kana, I'll get it," he said gently. "Stay in bed, okay?"

The door opened slowly to reveal Jakob, still dressed in his attire from the battlefield. He'd removed his spiked gauntlets and blood-spattered jacket, but had clearly been too busy tending to his children to completely change clothes. Upon seeing Corrin, Jakob smiled warmly and obviously allowed her inside. Corrin had barely stepped into the room before Kana was energetically bouncing at her side. The boy appeared to have disobeyed his father's request to stay in bed and had thrown his arms about her waist in a tiny hug. Her heart leapt at the sight as she scooped the little boy into her arms and twirled him in the air.

The boy laughed loudly and clung to her with equal parts excitement and mock terror as his mother twirled him in the air. Jakob bristled at the sight and said dotingly, "Careful, you two!"

"They're fine, Father…" Dwyer said. The young man was sitting up in a bed on the other side of the room, dressed in fresh clothes. He smothered a loud yawn and said, "I don't think mother would ever hurt us, even on accident."

"Still…"

Corrin decided to stop needlessly worrying her husband and put Kana down. She then crossed the room in a few steps so she could see Dwyer. She ran a hand through his messy hair and pulled him into a long overdue hug. The young man let out a laugh and returned the gesture, pressing his cheek again his mother's shoulder.

"I'm so happy you're both okay," Corrin said, pulling away and placing both her hands on the sides of her older son's face. Dwyer nodded up at her and smiled timidly. Thanks to Corrin pushing his bangs back, his hair didn't hide the pleasant expression on his face.

"Mama, we'd thought you'd be a lot madder at us," Kana piped up inquisitively. The boy wore a look of discomfort and slowly put his hands behind his back, shifting his weight from foot to foot guiltily. "You guys got really hurt! So did a lot of other people."

"Kana is right," Dwyer replied, casting his dark gaze to the ground. "We caused a lot of unnecessary trouble. We apologize."

"You apologize?" Jakob asked in a puzzled tone. After a few seconds, the muscles in Jakob's face slackened as he managed a smile. "Oh. I suppose that makes sense. After all, we were worried sick about you two. Not to mention, you both caused up to sacrifice a day of work to go searching the country side for you too. Then, you both got caught up in another battle that resulted in a lot of people getting injured…"

Both boys seemed to flinch at each one of their father's damning, but truthful statements. Neither one made an attempt to defend their actions and merely nodded along in reluctant agreement.

"However," Jakob concluded, "Your mother and I aren't angry."

It was the brothers' turn to wear an expression of puzzlement.

"Well, we're not angry _now_ ," Corrin clarified with a laugh. "We're both so thrilled to have you home that…I can't even think of being angry at the moment."

"Give it a day or two," Jakob teased. "I'm sure I'll have plenty of lectures and chores for you both. Until then, just relax."

Jakob agreed, kneeling down to rub the top of Kana's head. The young boy looked like he'd been close to tears, which wasn't the butler's intention. The man ruffled his son's hair and said, "Even so, although we intend to punish you both, it won't be severe. After all, you boys did what you had to do to save Shigure. That was a very brave thing."

The boys looked to their parents with wide eyes. Neither had mentioned saving the young Pegasus Rider as the cause of their disappearance. They'd though the fact irrelevant and also didn't want to cast and possible shadow of blame on their friend and ally.

"Shigure told us all about it after you two went missing," Corrin said, answering their silent inquisition. "So, even if we punish you guys and lecture you for running off…we're still proud of you."

"Sacrificing yourselves to save another was a very plucky thing to do," Jakob agreed. "However, as your _parents_ , we were understandably not huge fans of that idea."

"You can both expect some more combat training to reassure this doesn't happen again," Corrin said mildly. She playfully poked both her sons on the tips of their noses, causing Kana to let out a giggle that broke the last of the tension present in the room. "Okay? It's so wonderful that you've both become such strong and brave warriors…but please be more careful in the future. I can't even express how scared your father and I were."

"Mama…Papa…" Kana said, his tears vanishing as a bright smile bloomed across his face. "Okay! We promise. Right, Dwyer?"

"Absolutely," the older boy said. His reply wasn't laced with an ounce of his usual sarcasm. "Again…we're sorry for worrying you both, and everyone else in the army. I'm sure we'll have a lot of visitors this evening."

Corrin wasn't sure what Dwyer met until he gestured to the nearby window. The parents peeked out to see that many of the castle's children, in addition to her Nohrian siblings, seemed to be buzzing about near the base of the treehouse. Upon being spotted, Shigure and Sophie looked up and waved their hands.

"Ah, don't mind us!" Sophie called up with a cheerful grin. "We can come up whenever they're ready!"

"Sophie, please," Shigure said with a blush, poking the knight's side with his elbow. "Give them some privacy. We shouldn't be crowding like this anyway."

"Huh?" The young woman asked, puffing her cheek out at the young rider. "You were the one who said we should surprise them after they got back!"

"Ssshhh!" Shigured shushed, beyond flustered and he jumped in front of Sophie as smoothly as possible in an attempt to silence her.

"Well, they aren't subtle," Jakob remarked as he looked down at the bustling crowds near the base of the quarters. Corrin could only smile, sensing all the love and camaraderie in the castle as she looked down upon all the individuals waiting to visit her children. Some were still bandaged and bruised from fighting.

The woman couldn't believe how lucky she was to have such a wonderful army and amazing family fighting at her side. Each member wasn't just another soldier…in her mind, they were all members of her constantly growing family. They'd all come together so eagerly to help her in a time of desperate need. She reminded herself to find a way to repay them later. Perhaps they could take the next day off or she and Jakob could create a modest feast for the army. No matter what, she would find a way to repay everyone for their effort.

"Mama, you should go relax," Kana suddenly suggested. "You too, Papa!"

Both parents realized that they were still dressed in their clothes from battle, and Corrin was still covered in bloodied bandages and sweat from her last endeavor against the Faceless. Although she was reluctant to leave her children, she knew they needed to rest and that they probably weren't the only people who longed to visit.

"If you both need anything, please call," Jakob told them sincerely. Both brothers nodded and thanked their parents again.

They all shared a couple more hugs and kisses before Corrin and Jakob finally left, allowing other members of the army to pile in the brothers' room to visit them. After a long day, the young couple could finally return to their chamber for some much needed rest.

Upon returning to their chamber, the first thing Jakob did was help Corrin tend to her wounds. He helped his wife removed her armor, slowly removing each any every piece until she was dressed in only her bra and underwear.

Instead of using healing magic, the cuts and injuries she'd acquired in battle were basic enough to only require the use of basic first aid elements. The young butler brandished some cotton pads and bandages. After fetching some hot water, he got to work disinfecting and cleaning her wounds, bandaging them up to stop the bleeding for injuries that weren't already scabbed over.

One particularly nasty cut on her forearm made Corrin hiss when Jakob patted it with the cotton pad.

"Sorry," he apologized, jumping at her sound of discomfort. He absolutely hated causing her pain, even if it was to mend her injuries. "Did that hurt too much?"

Corrin shook her head, locks of her flaxen hair lazily swinging from side to side. The tips of her hair were still lightly reddened from the ends being drenched in the blood of her enemies. Jakob noted that, before lying down, she would definitely need to wash her hair.

"It's alright," Corrin said with a laugh. "I really appreciate this, Jakob. I know it's harder to heal wounds like this and takes a lot of time."

"It's no trouble," he replied sincerely, taping the gauze securely over the cut and slipping some extra cotton under the cloth to reassure she didn't bleed through the tape. "Your injuries aren't incredibly serious, but they still need to be cleaned properly. This should be the last one."

He released her arm and urged to test a full range of movement. Corrin obeyed and moved her arm in every direction she could think of. She even tested some of her usual sword tactics and, upon not feeling any pain aside from the usual aches associated with cuts and bruises, she put her arm down and gave him an affirmative nod. The woman didn't want to move her arm too much and reopen her wounds, thus undoing all of her husband's hard work.

Once Corrin was all bandaged up, the young woman offered to also patch up any of Jakob's wounds. Of course, he denied her assistance and told her he was fine.

"I patched myself up after I got Dwyer and Kana back home," he explained to her with a humble grin. "Please don't worry about me, Corrin. Just rest."

This caused the young woman to pout, since she'd been looking forward to tending to her husband's wounds. She knew he'd been hurt during their battles and was just putting on a face to stop her from worrying. "Well, can I at least fetch you some clean clothes?"

The young butler didn't want to trouble his wife, especially after the turmoil they'd just been through and the fact that she'd just emerged from a long and hard battle. He would rather she worry about herself, but due to her insistence, he finally relented and told her where to fetch the clothes from in their closet.

Corrin was more than happy to help Jakob clean up as well. After all, he was still wearing most of his blood-splattered clothes from the battlefield, with the exception of his suit jacket, which had already been tossed into the wash. While he sat on their bed and slowly unpeeled the rest of the clothes from his body, she brushed the knots from his long silver hair and made sure to bandage any wounds she came across. Of course, he did in fact have injuries for her to patch up, just as she suspected.

"Corrin, you needn't worry about me," he urged with a slightly embarrassed smile. "I'm fine. Please, go wash up."

"Jakob…" Corrin sighed, lifting a hand to rub her temple. Sometimes he could be just as stubborn as her, if not more so, when it came to letting others take care of him. He was even more persistent when it came to ignoring his own safety and health for her specific benefit. It could be a little exhausting, but like always, she stuck to his side and stayed firm.

"I'm just bandaging the little ones," she promised, eyeing a large black and purplish bruise that spread almost entirely across his right shoulder blade. There wasn't much she could do about the contusion, but she made a mental note of its location as to not accidentally touch it and cause him pain later on when they went to sleep. Corrin kept her mouth shut, knowing Jakob hadn't wanted her to see the injury and worry about him, and just cleaned the smaller cuts and nicks he'd been too busy to sanitize before.

"There, all done!" she said cheerfully, moving to sit beside him in the bed. "Now, was that so bad? Letting me take care of you?"

The man chuckled and shrugged on a new shirt, made of thinner material and more ideal for sleeping. He also pulled on some looser slacks and reached behind him to re-tie his hair. Corrin stopped him and went behind him, offering to tie his hair up so he didn't have to lift his arms. She could only imagine how painful it would be with the bruise, not to mention the other injuries he had.

"You really do dote on me too much," he told her with a laugh, relishing in the feeling of her nimble fingers brushing and braiding his hair.

"Says _you_ of all people," the woman replied with a lift of the brow. She playfully threaded her fingers through his silvery locks, making loose fists of his hair and giving him a little tug.

"Hey," she said, leaning over so her lips were almost against the nape of his neck.

"Hm?"

"Thank you for staying beside me," she said slowly, her voice almost as low as a whisper. "I was…scared. Really scared."

They had been in the situation of possibly never seeing their children again. Although she knew they probably hadn't handled the situation perfectly, she was just thankful their relationship hadn't suffered, most of all, that Dwyer and Kana were alive. Despite the fear and agony she'd felt, Dwyer and Kana had been the ones to push through and essentially save themselves. Everyone had pulled through and come out okay. For that, she was so unbelievably thankful that she would have sung her thanks to the gods from the rooftops if her body wasn't so much pain. She imagined the ache she already felt would no doubt magnify as her body rested in the upcoming hours.

"Me too," Jakob replied, resisting the urge to moan as she gave his hair another tiny pull. "I'm proud of them. They did well, although like us, they probably could have handled the situation better."

Corrin laughed and agreed with him. She finished lacing his hair with a fresh ribbon, but instead of returning to his side on the bed, she slowly looped her arms around him from behind and pulled him close against her heart. She heard her husband gasp as she pressed her body against his and rested her cheek on his shoulder. It was a chaste but still intimate action that made his cheeks color. Jakob slowly turned his head lifted a hand to caress her cheek with the backs of his fingers.

"Corrin…"

She opened her maroon eyes and looked back at him, giving him a coquettish tilt of the head. The angle allowed her the perfect opportunity to press her lips against his temple. Jakob reciprocated by leaning back and turning his body slightly, taking away her leverage and forcing her forward. He then wrapped an arm about her and pressed his lips against hers.

The kiss was soft and loving, and after a few seconds, Corrin pulled away to kiss the corner of his mouth. The tenderness of the kisses was maddening, and it took only a moment for Jakob to become lost and fall back on the mattress, bringing her with him. She toppled on top of him, their lips still pressed together and placing gentle touches on each other's faces. Jakob held her hips firmly and Corrin braced her hands on the mattress at first. Slowly, she brought them up to his shoulders and let them slide across his chest and up to his face.

The two parted due to their need for oxygen and beamed at each other, bumping their foreheads playfully. When it came to alleviating stress, it seemed that they were each other's best cure.

"We should stop before we get too carried away," she said. "You need to sleep too, right?"

"We both need to sleep _and_ wash up," he teased, chuckling lightly as he folded his strong arms across her back and pulled her close. Corrin snuggled closer to her husband, which caused him to draw his arms about her even tighter and roll onto his side to reassure her comfort. Her head rested atop his arm, using his bicep as a pillow. Seeing this adorable sight, he dropped a tender kiss on her forehead and delighted in the soft giggle she gave in response.

"Should we save the washing up for first thing in the morning?" the princess asked playfully. She walked her fingers up his chest slowly and twirled her fingers around a lock of hair from his low ponytail. She brought the lock to her lips to deftly kiss, causing Jakob to inhale sharply.

"I think…that might be best," Jakob agreed, scooting even closer to her until his face was inches from hers. The butler's lips traveled from her forehead to her eyelids, cheeks and then her mouth. He lingered a few inches away and added breathlessly. "I _really_ don't want to leave you right now."

Corrin felt heat rise to her own cheeks as she rolled beneath Jakob, allowing his body to cover hers as they linked their arms and legs. As the sun set, the bedroom was consumed with a darkness that barely illuminated their bodies, making them only visible to each other and nobody else.

With their lips only inches apart, Corrin managed to say two words that shattered Jakob's restraint and reassured that neither one would get any sleep that night.

"Then don't."

 **-END-**

Damn, this chapter is long. Along with typos, wordiness is one of my vices, haha!

This chapter took a really long time, just because I felt like I needed to wrap a lot of thigs up. I hope it didn't seem rushed.

I also had to throw Silas and Sophie in there too. I love them both so much! All the Neutral units and their children are my favorites (although I'm still absolute Nohrian Scum.)

Anyway, thank you guys for reading!


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